Red Tulips
by Errol's Feather
Summary: Ever since Calleigh started to work at the Crime Lab a secret admirer has been sending her red tulips for Valentine's. She is frustrated that she don't know who it is. DuCaine with a touch of Frank/Natalia.


_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own CSI: Miami and I don't make any money from it._ **  
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_**Author's Note: **_I know this idea may be a bit stupid, I still decided upon writing and sharing it with you. I was also meant to post this up for Valentine's, but life got in the way so I didn't get to finish it before just now.__

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><p><em><strong>Red Tulips <strong>_  
>It was nearing Valentine's Day at Miami Dade Crime lab, a day that Calleigh Duquesne dreaded more than other days. It was not that she was not for love and romance; it was just that every year on this day for as long as she had worked in the crime lab she had gotten a bouquet of red tulips and she had never managed to find out who sent them.<p>

Every year, but the past two that was, as she had been with Eric. Did whoever it was know this?

She sighed, looking at a picture of herself and Eric that had slowly started to fade. It was taken a few years back, right before they got involved, only that didn't last. They had found it better to remain friends. So now the ballistics expert was expecting a new bouquet of flowers.  
>She sighed heavily, leaning on the table in the DNA lab, making Natalia look up and ask, "Something wrong?"<p>

"It's just every year since I started here I have gotten a bouquet of red tulips; I never managed finding who sent them. They stopped when I was with Eric, but now..." she said with a heavy sigh.

"You expect whomever it might be to start again," Natalia concluded.

"Yes, I just wish who sent them," said Calleigh.

"You said they have been coming since you started here, right?" said Natalia with a frown.

"Yes why?" Calleigh asked.

"Then all you need to do is figure out who worked here that long, do they come with a card?" said Natalia.

"Usually one with a heart, never signed though," the blonde said.

"So someone here loves you," said Natalia with a smile.

"The only ones that have worked here for that long is Horatio and Frank, but I seriously doubt it to be either," said Calleigh honestly. All things considered Horatio had back then been her boss. And Frank had been married.

"You can always ask them," said Natalia with a giggle.

"No, I'll guess I'll leave it at never finding out," said Calleigh.

"I do find it funny that you are a brilliant CSI and cannot solve that," said Natalia.

"Not funny," said the blonde frustrated as she walked out the door. Natalia just shook her head wondering if she could track the sender.

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><p>As it happened Natalia happened to end up with Frank a little earlier that day as the two of them happened to be in the break room at the same time. She greeted him and he her. She poured a cup of bad coffee before saying, "So any dates for Valentine's this year?"<p>

"Me, no, it just end in bad breakup or divorce, you?" he asked back, rolling his eyes mildly.

"Sadly enough no," she said, wishing she had one.

"I find it hard to believe that you don't have a date that night," he said a bit surprised.

"Well I don't, no one has asked, and as I'm not seeing anyone I doubt I'll even get flowers," she said, she missed that getting flowers.

"That's a shame, but if you were getting flowers, which would you want?" he asked her, looking at her with curious eyes.

"White lily's or pink roses, I never really cared for the reds," she said honestly.

"I'll make sure to remember that if I ever buy you flowers, well I better get back to the precinct," he said with a sigh, putting down her cup. Not a big loss as the coffee there sucked either way.

"Yeah, oh one more thing, have you ever given flowers to anyone on Valentine's?" she asked.

"My wife when we were still in love, other than that no," he said, wondering why she would ask.

Natalia just nodded as she put her cup aside as well, she had enough of bad coffee for today. Besides she was sure the sender of the tulips was the one she thought. Not that she would care to tell Calleigh, she rather leave a subtle hint if they showed up again.

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><p>It was early morning on Valentine 's Day and Natalia had overslept. She almost ran into the shower, and finished her makeup before got dressed. A white dress with red hearts for the occasion, ironic considering she had no one to dress up for.<p>

She put the gun in her purse and practically threw herself in the car, hoping she wouldn't be all too late.

That lucky she was however not as there had been an accident on the road and the traffic was being directed elsewhere making it take twice as long. When she finally managed to park in the garage she was both frustrated and flushed. She sighed hoping that the day wouldn't get any worse.

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><p>Another woman that had overslept this morning was Calleigh Duquesne. She had by accident forgot to set her alarm the precious night and had slept in. When she woke up and saw the time her only thought was, "Shit, shit, shit."<p>

She got up faster than you could say, "bulletproof," went over to her wardrobe and found a white suit and a pink top. Then she located her holster and gun and she was on her way, hoping Horatio wouldn't be all too upset that she was late to a change.

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><p>As soon as Natalia got out of the elevator she walked over to the counter to see if there were any messages for her. Paula handed her some envelopes and a magazine. Natalia looked at the front of the magazine, a catalogue where she could order new supplies for the lab. She had to go through it and talk to Horatio about what she needed.<p>

She sighed as she walked into the DNA lab as she recognized the two envelopes she had just gotten, bills. Luckily unlike the ones she had at home these was paid by work. She gazed up at the lab table to put them next to her laptop for now.

It was then she saw it, right next to her computer was a huge bouquet of pink roses. Natalia gasped, feeling her cheeks were getting flushed as she reached for the card next to the vase. She opened it and read , "Dear Natalia, every beautiful woman deserves flowers on Valentine's. Love Frank."

"That's some bouquet, secret admirer?" she heard Ryan's voice from the door. She blushed as she put the card aside answering, "You may say that."

"Well, then I'm happy for you, happy Valentine's by the way," he said smiling at her.

"To you too," she said and for the first time in years she meant it. She knew she had to thank Frank for the flowers later as that had truly made her day and for the first time in a long time made her feel loved as well.

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><p>Another woman that was getting a bouquet of flowers that morning was a young ballistics expert. Once she arrived at the lab she rushed down to firearms where she found as expected a bouquet of red tulips along with a card. She opened it, it simply said, "I love you."<p>

No signature, no nothing. She groaned with frustration as she heard a familiar velvet rumble say, "Something wrong?"

"Oh, hi Horatio, just that I keep getting tulips every year since I started and I don't know from who," she said, turning to look into his sapphire eyes.

"Really, no clue, and here I thought you were the best CSI I had," he said, looking a little amused.

"Why does everyone keep saying that," she said, starting to get a little annoyed.

"Because it is pretty obvious who has been sending you flowers," he said, coming closer to his annoyed co-supervisor.

"If it's that obvious why don't you tell me?" she demanded to know, her emerald green was locking with his.

"It was me," he said and smiled at her.

"You…it was you, all these years, but if you loved me why didn't you just say that is was," she said, taking a step closer, not breaking eye contact with him.

"I took it for granted that you managed to guess it, after all we always had a special connection. Then Hagen seemed to capture you and well I put it aside, and settled for your friendship. I found Marisol and you Jake, then Eric, of all persons," there was trace of bitterness in his voice.

"You forgot Julia," she said, wondering what happened to her in the end.

"She is, was an ex and only that, I love her, but not like that," Horatio clarified.

"I didn't love him like I thought I did," she said with a sigh.

She didn't need to say it by name, for him to know it was Eric, it pretty much said itself. Her mind was running through what he had just said and the tulips she had gotten over the years. He must have really loved her, yet never dared to make a move. She would assume he was afraid the get rejected, only she knew she would never do that. And the card would mean that he still…

"Handsome, you did really love her right?" said Calleigh, meaning Marisol, she wouldn't have wanted him with her if she was a cacellation price for herself.

"I did," he assured her.

"Then she died and your old feelings in time came back?" she asked.

"They did," he said, his hands were resting on her waist now, their faces inches apart.

"I…I think, I mean I know I love you to," she whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes, feeling how her heart was beating heavier than ever before. He just smiled, gently kissing the top of her head. His ballistics girl, finally she was his and hopefully forever, all thanks to some red tulips.

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><p>Feedback always welcome and very much appreciated :o)<p> 


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